Uko

I was told this mission would be a chance to get away from the world and could be the opportunity of a lifetime. The chance to explore a new world that had life forms like none seen before was an opportunity I could not pass up. My decision had started long ago on earth with an abusive husband. He had never been able to deal with my success as a professional, and my promotion to senior biologist with EET had been the final straw for him. It wasn't that my career had gotten in the way of our love, since love had not existed for many years. Rather it was just one more example to him of his self-imposed inadequacies. His lack of self-confidence had led him to find other ways to assert his manhood. The result was that he tended to use his physical strength as a crutch to support his ego. Many nights I found myself on the other end of his assertions, and when that was not enough for him he started down a road of drinking and gambling. From that day on our love had begun to die. When I was sure it was dead and there was nothing I could do I decided to leave. From that point on he could gamble and drink to his heart's content. The only thing I would deny him from now on would be to have me around to abuse. He would have to take his frustration out on someone or something else. I only hoped that before he found someone else, something or someone would intervene. I had tried without success to change his ways, and I would no longer engage in anything so futile. Finally, after years of abuse and pain, the divorce papers were signed and I was free.
When I had heard of the mission to study the planet Uko, a planet that was discovered to have unusual life forms. I jumped at the chance, and was lucky enough to find myself on the exploration team. After the initial physical and interviews, I was introduced to the other candidates. If we were to spend so much time with each other, we had to get along on a personal and professional level. So the second hurdle was to form relationships with the other team members. There were more trainees then could actually go, so that if someone didn't fit in they could be dropped from the program. In those first few weeks I became close friends with Sharen, a younger member of the team. We had shared a room during those months of training, a small room with two beds and a dresser. In that time I had grown used to her murmuring during the night, a softer sound then the snoring of my ex. When I had been alone I had not slept good, unless the radio was going to provide some noise. Now it was nice not only to have the sound of someone else, but the feel of someone in the room. We spent our evenings together, sharing our hopes, fears, and experiences. By the time we went to the final stages of training, we were good friends. When we learned that we would be in hibernation for the long trip, everyone got together for one last blast, a party that had us all feeling happy by the end of the night. It was a chance to say goodbye to those who wouldn't be going and a congratulations for those of us who would go. I remember today that in our festive mood I had given Sharen a good night kiss. It had started as a peck that turned into an intimate brush of our lips.
* * *
After leaving the mother ship, my shuttle began its decent slowly through the upper atmosphere on large inflatable wings. With the thin helium atmosphere requiring a lot of wing area to maintain a gradual glide path. A few thin clouds slid past the windows and I saw dozens of other shuttles moving off in several other directions. I floated through the atmosphere now, as I had floated through life back on earth. After leaving my friends behind, I saw them moving away as I moved into darkness. In time I was alone, but for a few friends who were always so far away. The purpose of having several ships was to gather samples from various points on the surface. Just before touchdown on the night side of Uko, I had control of the glider, so I would not miss the surface and fall into one of the many fissures crisscrossing the surface of the planet. Some of the more brave souls were assigned to land near these fissures, hoping to gather information on this phenomenon. Underneath me was a thin layer of oxygen, compared to the rest of the planet. Beneath that was a layer of CO2, then ammonia and water, mixed with other organic compounds and finally a rocky core. The only solid surface was provided by a layer of organic life forms, and was the purpose of my decent. The original probes had revealed the presence of chloroform, and heat that could not be explained. It was assumed that there might be a form of autotrophic life on some type of surface, or floating free in the currents of the planets atmosphere. Latter probes showed that there was plant life present, and hinted at other life forms, so our current mission was conceived. There was some extra heat that could not be explained by plant life or atmospheric conditions, and I was to land where there seemed to be a concentration of this heat and determine its origin. The inflatable wings expanded even more, along with the rest of the exterior to provide as soft of a landing as possible. Isolating me, just as my mind had shielded me from the hard and solid truth around me. The goal was to reduce the impact of landing and to provide a large surface area so I would not break through the living surface of the planet.
As the probes had shown, the surface was a maze of plants whose leaves resembled those of a lily pad choked pond. Each plant had several leaves around a central node, with roots on the bottom and an inflorescence on top. I could not see the roots from my vantage point but I knew they were there and probably crawling with parasitic organisms. The inflorescence had a stalk composed of numerous stems forming chambers holding the reproductive parts at the top. The stems twisted and wrapped around each other like the lies and promises that my ex-husband used to weave. As they grew and expanded it became harder and harder to see through them, until I could see nothing else. After landing I found that the top of the leaves were covered with various life forms. Many were flat with large surface areas, resembling starfish, amebas, or long slender tubes. The surfaces of these organisms were often transparent, with a few being opaque. Those that were opaque, were of every color of the rainbow and some appeared to change color with their surroundings. The air was filled with floating balls of different colors and sizes like balloons at a party. All of the floating balls appeared to have appendages of some type, with the majority having several appendages from just two spots. A few had appendages covering their surface or around a central disk. These moved in a curious manner, as though they were curious or playful. I knew this kind of behavior was common to that of predators, but to assume these were predators would be premature. It would have been an interesting study but we had other priorities to take care of first. One of the first questions I would answer was how the balls and plants remained buoyant even under the minimal gravity of this world. The next would be to do a survey of the life forms and lastly to determine the ecology of the local and global communities.
My craft landed and the inflated wings provided the support for the lab so I could carry out my studies. To reduce contamination in either direction I would have to wear an isolation suit whenever I left the lab, even with the breathable air. On the craft I had a complete lab for identifying and analyzing samples. Most importantly my background in biology would enable me to understand the data and adjust the equipment as necessary. For collection I had a small crane, and a solar powered Ultralite for more extensive surveys, or emergency evacuation. When I was to leave, a small shuttle would take the others and me to the mother ship in orbit. Then a second shuttle would come down with a hook on the bottom. The labs would send up a line attached to a balloon, the shuttles hook would catch the line and the labs would be towed back to the mother ship. Once safely aboard, and only then, would the remaining platform deflate and sink to the center of the planet. Our stay would only be for a few months and was not enough time for us to do a complete or exhaustive survey of this planet. However, the information we would gather could be used to design sensors to monitor the surface in our absence. Within hours of my landing Uko greeted me with its first surprise.
* * *
It started as a light shower that eventually turned into a downpour. The reaction of the plants to the rain was surprising. Channels began to form on the surface of the leaves, draining into the center. I extended a collection bottle out with a mechanical arm, and collected a sample of the rain. Bringing it into the lab I found that it had a high concentration of organic nutrients. It was loaded with nutrients, and I was interested in how the plants dealt with such high concentrations of nutrients. If we could find out how the plants here dealt with and stored such large concentrations of nutrients, that information would be very valuable back home. Such a surprise was something I could deal with. I sent my results to the mother ship, to be relayed to the other sampling stations. With this system we could work cooperatively and pool our resources and expertise. The more samples we collected from more sites, the more accurate the results could be.
Within hours I heard from another of my colleagues, Sharen who was stationed near one of the fissures. We had agreed that we would keep in contact with each other as much as possible. Being older I felt that I needed to look after her, and she looked up to me as an older sister, possibly more. She knew why I had come and understood my excitement at being away from earth. Her own freedom was just as important, and possibly as life changing. Her parents had tried to mold her by smothering her with affection, all in the name of love. When she finished college she could no longer stand being smothered by them and needed to get out. She was still discovering who she was and not what other people told her. Yet, the need for excitement in youth was still there, which is how she volunteered for a fissure site.
Eager to start my collection task, the best part of the job, I donned my isolation suit. Once outside of the lab I walked to the edge of the platform. The Kevlar covered floats barely bent the leaves of the plants. A more accurate description of the plants would have been trees. The leaves appeared to be as thick as I was tall and the inflorescence was as thick as redwoods back home. Using the crane I collected a small plant to bring back into the lab. I then set out several types of traps to catch the more mobile life forms. The first few weeks would determine what traps were effective for the different types of life forms. A bank of cameras would determine the success or failure of different types of traps. Did a particular life form seem attracted to or repulsed by a trap? In which case a better mousetrap could be assigned for further studies. Until then I would examine the parts of the plants and animals I could find and collect.
I spent the next few days, rapidly trying to understand the morphology of the specimens before they started to rot. Once rot started to set in, any information gathered could be biased. It was a nice change being alone with my studies, knowing that everyone else was doing the same. What I found was that the central node was filled with liquid nutrients and CO2. The leaves were filled with Helium and a mass of stiff supports that supported the leaf chambers. The root like appendages had water filled veins that appeared to carry CO2 to the node for dispersal. The inflorescence was the most interesting, as a maze of tubes intertwined to form chambers. At the same time they carried Helium from the upper atmosphere to the leaves, using the same process of diffusion as the roots. These plants could regulate the amount of helium in their leaves, and maintain enough buoyancy to float. The top of the inflorescence held small flowering organs, with pollination being a mystery, but the seeds were amazing. The morphology of the seed and the parent plant was very similar. The center was filled with nutrients to provide for growth, and the outer chambers filled with Helium. The outer cell walls of the seed could expand with the accumulation of water increasing the volume of Helium. This would allow the seed to change its bulk density and thus its altitude. The appendages that would form the roots and inflorescence were feathery to catch the air allowing them to drift on the breeze and colonize new areas. The inflorescence of the parent plant was covered with barbs, apparently to catch the feathery seeds of other plants producing strong competition.
I gathered some of the floating balls from outside the lab and examined those as well. The general structure of the balls was the same, most were seeds from the various plants nearby. Genetically there were differences among some of the seeds, some had a greater amount of genetic material then the plants should have had. Upon closer examination I found that they were in fact the parasites of this community. Invisible to all until they matured, revealing their true nature, like all of the parasites I had seen in my life. I gathered more samples from the air, and found that as the balls got larger so did the amount of genetic material. Eventually I was able to track, roughly, the evolution of the floating life on Uko. The plants came first, evolving into a parasite, giving raise to heterotrophic life. The means of propulsion and flotation remained the same, but the method of obtaining food seemed to drive the evolutionary process.
I sent my research through the network again and checked on my colleagues. I checked on Sharen first, since she was in a potentially dangerous site. The cause of the fissures was just becoming apparent, days after the rainfall, steam started to pour from the fissures and an analysis of the steam showed it to be chemically similar the rainfall. The water cycle on this planet seemed to be fairly simple, with a fast turnover. I felt better knowing what had caused the fissures and their role in the ecosystem. Still it could prove dangerous for Sharen and I was determined to keep an eye on her. I sent a personal communication to her asking how she was doing. She replied right away, her digital camera showed the only personal space in the lab. In an effort to save money and space, everything had to be small. The financiers would have preferred a sterile and functional environment to cut down on costs. Fortunately someone had the foresight to request, within reason, for some person space. If we were to be here for several weeks we would need to have some recreation for our psychological well being. Sharen tried to compose herself but I could hear the excitement and fear in her voice. She brushed her copper red hair from her face revealing deep green eyes. "It was so exciting, and beautiful. The steam rose up in a jet that blossomed in the upper atmosphere. The plants along the edge that had died, protecting the ones further out from the fissure. The setting sun reflected off the steam making it look like a giant rainbow." Her smile glowed with the warmth and fun that is only seen in youth. I expressed my concerns and told her to keep an eye out for any changes that may allow her to predict the eruptions. "Of course I will. That is some of the information we were hoping to collect while we were here." in a more serious voice "You worry to much Jannet. You need to learn to relax more. I have to go and check on the weather instruments. I'll see you later tonight." I smiled, but still I worried about her.
The next two weeks were spent dissecting the plant specimens that we had gathered, and maintaining the weather instruments. Small tissue samples were preserved for genetic analysis and the more sophisticated chemical analysis that would be done latter. I had used the Ultralite several times to visit Sharen when I felt the need to be with another human. We would spend the evenings enjoying the sunsets, sharing a bottle of wine we had smuggled with us. After a rain, droplets would collect on the stems of the plants and as the sunset, it would shine through the drops creating a rainbow of colors. The forest would become a wall of color that sparkled as the stems swayed in the breeze. For those who assume that our nights were filled with passionate lovemaking you would be disappointed. Our most intimate moments consisted of talking, interrupted by the occasional kiss. We compared our experiences of growing up, how they were different, and how they shaped our perceptions of the world. I had grown up in a happy family that appeared to be open and free on the outside. Yet there was an underlying layer of oppression that kept me from fully expressing myself in any way that was not socially acceptable. I never realized just how much my upbringing had oppressed my true feelings for other women. As a child I had enjoyed the company and the curves of other women, never realizing what lay behind it. I had never been truly free to find out who I was, or what was right for me. I had been programmed from childhood that sex was never talked about and was considered a taboo subject. Without a way to explore or express my sexuality, I was never able to understand or express my feelings. That may have been why I found myself in relationships that were unhealthy. The abusive relationships I had found myself drawn to were the result of being drawn to men who gave the appearance of control. The lack of control I felt and needed to feel from others opened the door to letting someone take over my life. Men like my ex-husband flocked to me like wolves waiting for their prey to show weakness. They would sing their song and dance around me until the time was right and too late for me to resist.
For Sharen it had been different, rebellious, stubborn, and not afraid to speak her mind, she had learned at an early age that she found other girls attractive. This concerned her parents, who tried to ignore their feelings towards women, but it still affected their relationship with Sharen. In vein they showered her with affection to coerce her to form and interest in boys. It was a clear case of denial, until they found her naked in bed with one of her friends. She had just had her first intimate encounter with another girl and her parents could no longer deny who their daughter was. From that day forward it was a constant struggle for her to balance the need for her parents and their love, and the need for self-expression. When she chose to express herself, her parents offered their verbal support, but nothing else. Her parents in an effort to resolve their conflicting feelings had sent her away to school. Not knowing what to do, they sent her to an all girl’s school in the hope that a strict academic environment would do what they could not. In hindsight it seems a ridiculous thing for them to do. Like many parents they didn't fully realize the opportunities they were presenting. Most importantly the school provided a sisterhood and support group that allowed her to grow in a nurturing environment, finally able to fully express herself. Still the damage had been done and she began to immerse herself in her studies trying in vein to make up for what she had lost as a child. In the end her leaving home was a blessing, and she reveled in the freedom that eventually brought us together. Society provided its own cruel complications, and mixed messages about lesbians and female sexuality.
By the time we reached Uko, even with all of our privacy, there was no need for anything but talking. We had a lifetime to experience life and each other as lovers. We learned even more about each other in those first few weeks, in time we became closer then friends or sisters. We started to make plans for living together when we got back to earth. The advice I had gotten was right on the money. This trip had been just what I needed to turn my life around. I was not only free of an abusive relationship, but I had now found a loving partner. I had finely found someone that I could live and grow with, who would grow with me at the same time. Our's would be a two-way relationship that had never existed in my life before.
Our tour was almost over and there hadn't been any rain for days. When it did rain the results were dramatic. The heavy downpour left nothing in the air, since all of the avian creatures had descended to the leaf layer by the time the rain had started. Anything that had been in the air would not have survived the gales that tore over the surface. The plants started to gather the rain until they were bulging with water, and then their leaves began to bend. They didn't break, but the strain had me worried and a quick look around revealed small cracks in their surfaces. I raced back in when I realized that the result of the rain might severally affect Sharen's site. If the rain hit her area, the stressed leaves might not withstand the erupting steam. I placed a call through and could see the rain outside her window. I told her what I feared "This is a sever downpour. I checked the leaves outside my site and found they were severely stressed. If your previous studies are correct, there will be a huge eruption of steam. With the weakened leaves, I'm concerned about how large of an area might be destroyed by the eruption." She smiled and told me not to worry, she had already thought of that. She had packed some of the more important items, but since the ultralights were solar powered, she couldn't leave until the storm passed. I told her that the storm had passed my area and that I would be able to start in her direction. She was worried, but seemed to be relived when she knew that I was on the way. When I was airborne I called her so she could keep me updated on the storm. As I got closer to her, she told me that the storm was subsiding, so I increased my speed and entered the edge of the storm. The winds buffeted my craft, and I found it hard to maintain control. The winds tore at the little craft, trying to tear it apart. I was being thrown around much as I had been when I was married. The smothering darkness pushing and pulling until I was bruised beyond aching. When I was within sight of Sharen's lab I found out why things had gotten so bumpy. Just over the horizon I could see steam starting to pour from the fissure. The steam started advancing from the far end of the fissure, and I could see groups of plants being thrown up in the air by the steam. I dove toward her lab as she came out to greet me. Just as I was about to reach Sharen the wall of steam arrived. The massive wall the plants around Sharen's lab broke loose, and started to break apart. The lab and its platform began to sink toward the center of the planet, the fingers of steam greedily wrapping it in their clutches. As the steam pulled at the lab, fear closed over Sharen like a wave. Sharen grabbed a rail for support as the lab lurched under her, and I swooped in to rescue her from it's grip. When I was close enough she leaped for the landing gear, and held on for dear life. I pulled Sharen away as the platform disappeared into the steam, and didn't stop until I could no longer see the steam or the fissure. When I landed we immediately hugged, kissed then cried before continuing back to my site. When we finally reached my lab we were exhausted. That night we fell asleep in each other’s arms, thankful that we were both alive. The next few days were spent getting everything together for the return trip.
When the shuttle arrived to take me, Sharen and the lab back to the mother ship, we were sorry to go. Our time together had concurred the demon's that had plagued us for years. The demon that had tried to keep me in misery was gone, and the demon that drove Sharen toward obsession was banished. Our quiet evenings together were over for now, until we returned home. As we passed thought the upper atmosphere I looked out the window at the planet who's mood resembled those of my ex-husbands. Moments of calm, shattered by fierce and violent storms that almost destroyed my love again. As we left the planet I saw a storm in the distance with the sun shining thought it. It was a wonder that something that looked so innocent could turn so deadly without warning. I left him behind to rage on as much as he wanted his destruction was a thing of my past. Upon our return to Earth we bought a house together, and to this day I am still amazed by the trip to Uko. Not because of the scientific discoveries we made, but the discoveries I made of myself and of Sharen. I had discovered true love for the first time.